icantthink

All,

As I gather paperwork for my naturalization, I have to contact the Selective Service folks for a letter. I understand that I was not required to register with them while I was on an non-immigrant visa, but I do need to get that info from them.

My intention is to provide them with a summary of my status by year/by age.

When my wife and I filed the 485, I was on an H1-B, but what was my status between applying for the green card and actually receiving it? It took about 2 years -- filed in December 1999, approved in January 2002.

thanks

Rete

You were required to register with then as soon as you married your USC spouse and filed for residency as long as you were under the age of 26.

You were pending adjustment during that time.

icantthink

So just to clarify, I was supposed to register as soon as I filed for the green card even though I was not approved for it?

Fortunately, looks like I was 26 years and a couple of months in 1999 when we applied for residency...

ian-mstm

You were supposed to file as soon as you moved to the US to live as a resident.


From my understanding, that you applied for permanent residency after you turned 26 is irrelevant. From the Selective Service site: "... if a male noncitizen takes up residency in the U.S. before his 26th birthday, he must register with Selective Service". So the question is, were you, in fact, resident before you turned 26? If you were, and you didn't file, you could find yourself in a bit of a spot!

Ian

icantthink

Understood -- but between the ages of 17 and 26 I was on a student visa, and then on an H1. We applied for permanent residency a few months after my 26th birthday.

From what I understand, both F1 and H1 are *non* immigrant visas, so I was not required to register with the selective service. So to answer your question, I don't think I was a permanent resident before I turned 26.

Rete

http://www.sss.gov/must.htm

Students are not required to register as long as their status is current. However, H-1B are dual visas and not listed on the non-immigration visa types not required to register.

Check with the selective service can see what they have to say about it.

icantthink

Wilco -- preparing my package for SSS as I write.

Just as a point of interest, my approval notice for the H1 lists it as "Petition for Non Immigrant Worker".

Folinskyinla

Hi:

The failure to register for SS is part of the "good moral character" issue -- so you need to have complied with the law during the REQUIRED period of residence and GMC. On non-marriage cases, the failure to register issue pretty much goes away when the applicant turns 31 years of age [5 years of GMC]. In 3-year marriage cases, it goes away at age 29.

I just filed a natz for a FY2000 "lottery winner" who adjusted in early 2000. Since he is 30 years old, I obtained evidence of his registration on line. If he was 31, I wouldn't have bothered.

icantthink

Hi folks -- an update from the SSS front.

I received a letter from the SSS today (took about 2 weeks) that based on their records and the information I provided, I was not required to register with the SSS.

So that closes this part of the application. On to my 8-year old traffic ticket of which I have no record